The being that was to be Bhagavan Arishtanemi, in his earlier
incarnation, was Shankh, the eldest son of king Shrishen of
Hastinapur. One day some citizens and wayfarers came to the king
and informed him that the highways approaching Hastinapur and the
surrounding area were being terrorized by bandits and smugglers.
No traveler or villager was safe from the attack of the bandits.
Robbery and murder became a daily routine for them. The citizens
requested he king to protect the masses. the king deputized
prince Shankh to go and punish the bandits.

Prince Shankh was an accomplished diplomat and strategist. He
planned and conducted his campaign in such a way that he
apprehended the leader of bandits without any bloodshed. While he
was on his way back he heard the cry of help of a young princess
abducted by a Vidyadhar (a lower god); prince Shankh challenged
the Vidyadhar, defeated him and saved princess Yahomati. when
these young people saw each other they fell in love and got
married. In due course prince Shankh ascended the throne.

Once a scholarly ascetic visited Hastinapur. King Shankh went
for his Darshan, an asked him, "Why am I so deeply in love
with Yashomati that all my desires to renounce come to a
naught." The ascetic said, "Your marital ties are many
a life-time deep. For last six lives you are being married to
each other, this is the seventh birth. That is the reason for
such intense and deep feeling of love for each other."

The king asked, "When these ties will be broken?"

The scholarly ascetic replied, "In your ninth incarnation
you will be born as Neminath and she as Rajimati. In that birth
you will be able to break this tie of love and become twenty
second Tirthankar. Rajimati will also follow you on the path of
renunciation and get liberated."

The Birth as Arishtanemi

Knowing all this Shankh had a deep feeling of detachment. He
gave his kingdom to his on and became an ascetic. As a result of
high spiritual practices and deep devotion for Jnan he earned the
Tirthankar-nam-and gotra-karma and reincarnated in the Aprajit
dimension of gods.

Bhagavan Rishabhdev and twenty one other Tirthankars were born
in the Ikshavku clan. The twentieth Tirthankar Munisuvrat was
born in the Harivamsh clan. The great king Vasu was also from
Harivamsh clan. After a long time this clan saw another
illustrious king Sauri who was the founder of the famous Sauripur
town. Sauri had two sons Andhak Vrishni and Bhog Virshni. Andhak
Virishni had ten sons, the eldest was Samudravijay and the
youngest Vasudev.

The being that was Shankh descended from the Aparajit
dimension of gods into the womb of queen Shiva Devi, wife of king
Samudravijay of Sauripur. The fourteen great dreams indicated
that this being was to become a Tirthankar. On the fifth day of
the bright half of the month of Shravaan queen Shiva Devi gave
birth to a son. As per the convention 56 goddesses of directions
arrived and performed the birth celebrations after the post-birth
cleaning.

During the naming ceremony the king conveyed that as the queen
had seen a disc with Arishta gems, the new born will be called
Arishtanemi.

Vasudev, the younger brother of king Samudravijay was a
charming and handsome person. His senior queen Rohini had a son
named Balram (Padma) and junior queen Devaki had a son named
Shrikrishana. Balram and Shrikrishna were the ninth Baldev and
Vasudev.

During those times the whole area of central India had become
a disturbed area due to prevailing conspiracies among various
kingdoms. Cruel Kamsa and oppressive Jarasandh (the Prativasudev)
were the worst of these feuding principalities. In order to be
away from these everyday problems and as per the advise of an
astrologer, the Yadav clan, including Samudravijay, Vasudev,
Ugrasen, Shrikrishan etc. migrated from Mathura sauriur to the
west coast. Shrikrishan constructed the large and beautiful town
of Dwarka on the sea coast and near the Raivatak mountain
(Girnar). Its grand architecture and strong fortification made it
heavenly beautiful and unconquerable.

The Power and Prowess of
Arishtanemi

One day while wandering around, youthful Arishtanemi reached
the hall of weapons of Vasudev Shrikrishna. Seeing the divine
weapons he first lifted the Sudarshan Chakra (the disc weapon)
curiously and whirled it playfully. He then lifted the giant bow,
Sarang, and bent it as if it was a thin cane. After this he
lifted the Panchajanya conch, put it to his lips and blew it
hard. The piercing loud sound emanating from the great conch
shocked the town. Shrikrishan rushed to the armory. Seeing
Arishtanemi playfully handling the he giant and heavy weapons
belonging to Vasudev, Shrikrishan was astonished. He asked
"Nemi! did you blow the Panchajanya?" Nemi innocently
replied, "Yes brother! It is so cute I could not contain
myself."

Shrikrishan knew that is weapons were beyond the capacity and
strength of any warrior in the world. He was astonished and
pleased at the same time, that his young cousin was so strong and
powerful. He wanted to test Nemis strength further; he
invited Nemi to the gymnasium for a friendly trial of strength.
First Shrikrishan raised his arm and held it straight asking Nemi
to bring it down. Nemi forced Shrikrishnas arm down without
any apparent effort. After this Nemi raised his arm and
Shrikrishana, in spite of all his strength could not force it
down. He even put all his weight on the outstretched arm but as
if it was a beam of steal, the arm of Nemi did not move even a
fraction of an inch.

Shrikrishan was very pleased knowing about this unprecedented
strength of his cousin. He thought that this great individual,
much more powerful than him, is capable of becoming a
Chakravarti. but how could he become a Chakravarti if he does not
change his attitude of detachment for all worldly activities.
Shrikrishan formulated a plan. He asked Nemi to marry and start
his family life. Nemi still did not show any interest.
Shrikrishan now consulted his queens and organized a spring
festival. The ladies dragged Nemi Kumar to the pool for water
games and there they used all their guile to pursued him to agree
for marriage. Shrikrishna also requested once more. Nemi
presented a smiling but thoughtful look. With his divine
knowledge he became aware it was the marriage celebration that
would initiate him on the path of liberation. As such he did not
oppose the proposal. His silence was taken as a sign of
affirmation and it was joyously announced that Nemi Kumar had
finally agreed for marriage.

Shrikrishana started the search for a suitable match. One of
his queens Satyabhama, informed hat her beautiful and delicate
younger sister, Rajul, would be an extremely suitable match for
Nemi Kumar. Shrikrishana finalized all arrangements. On the
arranged date the marriage procession started with Nemi Kumar
riding the decorated king elephant. All the kings and princes of
the Yadav clan joined the procession with their royal regalia and
retinue. When the procession was approaching the destination,
Nemi Kumar saw that on the side of the road there were large
fenced areas and cages full of wailing animals and birds. Filled
with sympathy and compassion, he asked the elephant driver why
those animals and birds were being kept in bondage. The driver
informed him that the creatures were collected to be butchered
for meat for the large number of gusts attending his marriage.

Nemi Kumar was filled with despair and a feeling of
detachment. He said to the elephant driver, "If I agree to
be the cause of the butchering of so many living beings my life
and the one to come will be filled with pain and misery. So, I
will not marry. Immediately arrange for the release of all these
creatures; turn back and head for Dwarka." The driver looked
at him in astonishment. Nemi Kumar said, "This is an
order."

The driver went and opened the gates of the fenced areas and
cages. The animals jumped and ran away into the jungle. They were
saved from the torture of death. The driver came back and turned
the elephant towards Dwarka. On the way Nemi Kumar took out all
the valuables and ornaments on his body and handed them over to
the elephant driver.

The news spread panic in the marriage procession. All the
seniors of the Yadav clan tried to change the mind of Nemi Kumar,
but in vain. Even Shrikrishna could not dissuade him from his
determination. Nemi Kumar said to the elders, "As these
animals were prisoners in the cages, we all are prisoners in
cages of karma which are much stronger than these fences. See the
feeling of joy evident in the animals released from the cages.
Know that happiness is in freedom, not in bondage. I want to
tread the path of breaking this bondage of Karma and embrace
eternal bliss. Please do not stop me."

When Rajimati, dressed as bride, heard of this act of Nemi
Kumar she could not tolerate the sting of sorrow. she fainted
with shock. When she recovered she started crying and again lost
consciousness.

After a year long charity, Nemi Kumar sat in a palanquin named
Uttarkura, and, passing through the town of Dwarka, arrived in
the Raivatak garden. He got down under an Ashoka tree and pulled
out five fistful of hair and after taking off all ornaments and
the royal dress. He became an ascetic along with one thousand
person on the sixth day of he bright half of the month of
Shravan. Shrikrishan was deeply touched by this incident; he
blessed his younger cousin and wished him success in his mission.

Arhat Neminath spent fifty four days in deep spiritual
practices and then went to Vijaynat hill (Girnar). On the
fifteenth day of the dark half of the month of Ashvin, in he
afternoon, he was observing a two days fast and was meditating
under a bamboo tree when he became an omniscient. Establishing he
four pronged religious organization (Tirth) he became the twenty
second Tirthankar.

When Rajimati recovered from the melancholy she decided to
follow the path taken by Neminath. Prince Rathnemi, the younger
brother of Neminath, tried his best to seduce Rajimati. But she
could not be distracted from her goal. When Rajimati came to know
that Neminath had become an omniscient, she went to the
Samavasaran of neminath along with many of her friends and took
Diksha. She lost herself in penances and other spiritual
practices and in the end got liberated.

Stories of a number of famous ascetic contemporaries of
Bhagavan Arishtanemi are glittering gems in he heap of Jain
scriptures. some more prominent names are child ascetic
Gajasukumar, great ascetic Dhandhan Rishi, Thavaccha-putra
Sharman etc.

Bhagavan Arishtanemi got liberated, at the age of one thousand
years, on the eighth day of the bright half of he month o Ashadh.

A number of historians accept that Arishtanemi, he cousin of
Shrikrishana, was a historical figure who greatly contributed
towards vegetarianism, compassion and Ahimsa. This is the point
where Jain prehistory fuses with history.